The High Sett summoned
The sea writhed and swirled. Upon its waves a hundred of lights shone in the dark. Fires beyond counting burned furiously as they voraciously consumed the fuel in their furnaces. Black columns of smoke, almost invisible in the night sky, drifted towards the heavens from each smokestack. Beneath each stack a vessel, powered by iron and steam, stormed through the night. The lack of wind that would have hindered inferior ships not even concerning them. Their black hulls as dark as the sea. Over them all, one ship towered. It dwarfed its fellows steaming alongside it. Towers and battlements rose from its decks. The lights of a thousand windows shone from its flanks while terrible guns, ever alert, scanned the night for threats. It was a city that had taken to the sea, a floating metropolis. Inside, thousands of badgers dwelled. It was on this leviathan, deep within its secret chambers, that a badger council was called. The chamber was richly decorated, tapestries from the each of the Old Setts lined the walls. On a plinth in the corner, a marble bust of Flavius Garantine. Near the ceiling a chandelier lit the space with a soft, luminous glow, supplemented by a great fire burning away in an ornate marble fireplace. Exquisitely carved, it showed scenes from the old world, of the time before the Reckoning. In the centre, ten chairs were arranged around a great, wooden table. Only five of the chairs were occupied by Badgers. The meeting was well underway. 'The reports are positive.' The first occupant said, 'The investigative teams reported exceptionally favourable conditions for construction.' The occupant had a large leather tome on the table in front of him. Other reports and maps were strewn around him. 'That's good.' The second occupant asked. His leather gloves creaked as his fingers moved. His black cloak shifting as he adjusted his shoulders. Around his neck a large gold amulet shone and glistened in the torch light. Engraved into it were the stylised letters B I. 'Are there any magical leylines in the area?' 'Yes, a ley-convergence infact.' the first occupant admitted, 'Category Alpharius, very hazardous to construction.' The second occupant was disturbed by this, 'Why was this area considered then? Category Alpharius leylines could be a potential disaster to the project.' 'It was a case of the positives outweighing the negatives. Look at the measurements for redstonic development.' The occupant with the large tome handed a sheet of paper to the one with the golden amulet. He accepted it with a gloved hand and read it carefully, 'Very interesting. That's the one of the highest concentrations I've yet seen.' 'Indeed, we could arm countless legions against the fallen.' The third occupant was also reading a copy of the paper. He wore the uniform of the Badgerian Guard. Devoid of any rank insignia save for a medal pinned to his chest betraying his rank as the supreme commander of all Badgerian Military forces. The one with the amulet set the paper down. 'I understand the potential this area has, but the leyline convergence still presents a problem. Their power will have to be suppressed and nullified during the construction process.' 'Is it possible?' asked the one with the tome. The one with the amulet paused, then replied, 'Yes, though they will require some of the heaviest Suppression stations we can build. The climate will suffer as a result of this.' 'Insignificant. Those leylines must be neutralised,' the military one turned to the one with the tome. 'Indigenous populations?' The one with the tome rose to gesture at a map in the centre of the table. He pointed, 'Within the target area, a race of bi-pedal badgeroids called Hedgehogs. They comprise a nation state called the Hedgehog Hegemony. Other populations exist beyond the target area as well.' He motioned towards lands not yet drawn on the map. 'The other nations could present us problems further down the line, but we do not have the manpower to cleanse such a large area,' the forth occupant stated. This one was clad in the robe of a bishop. A heavy staff rested up against the table near him. At its tip, a redstone crystal glowed gently with inner radiance, casting half his face in a blood-red hue. 'Agreed,' the military one stood up and pointed at the map. 'we should concentrate on these Hedgehogs, secure victory and consolidate our position.' his hand clenched to a fist over the area 'A decisive blow is critical, any lapse of momentum in the initial assault could result in the other nations rallying against their common external threat.' 'Disposition of Hedgehog forces?' the one with the amulet arched his hands before him. His face furrowing. 'Mostly southerly based, along the border with their neighbour. The northern coast is lightly defended, it is also where the majority of their major cities are located,' the military one sat back down. 'It is a necessary thing we must do this day. Primus watch over us.' the one with the staff said. 'It is what we must do.' the one with the amulet nodded in confirmation of his statement. 'Are we committed my brothers?' 'Aye' the military one said. 'Aye' the one with the tome said. 'Aye' the one with the staff said. At the head of the table, there sat the fifth occupant. He had not spoken yet. He leaned forward and looked at his companions. And then, with a voice from the ages, he spoke. 'Every day we sail from our home, more of it is lost to us. If the Badgers are to regain Verstanum, then this is the course we must take.' He nodded, in confirmation of some thought he had had. He turned to the military occupant, 'Tacitus, how soon can you have the legions ready?' 'Immediately brother, they have remained on standby ever since the incident with the fishing vessel. They await my instruction.' 'Good.' he turned to the one with the tome, 'Aemos, what is the status of the Matrixculum project?' Aemos cleared his throat, 'As of this afternoon, we managed to successfully construct a tunnel between two of our vessels. The construct held. My technologist adepts and I are confident we can replicate this success.' 'That is excellent news.' The fifth occupant turned to the one with the amulet. 'Draven, your skills will be required in this endeavour.' He softly pressed a depression in the table and a secret panel softly opened before him. He produced a very ancient text from within. He turned to the group 'This concerns all of you as well.' he opened the text and looked at the assembled persons. He paused, the fire continued to crackle and spit in its frame. 'I believe I have located a Tear of Primus.' He stated. The surprise in the group was expected. This was a group who was never surprised. 'Impossible!' Tacitus exclaimed 'Where?' Draven asked. The fifth occupant gestured to the map on the table, 'Within this Hedgehog Hegemony. I can hear one of our lost brothers calling out.' 'But how? Surely they were lost, along with everything else.' Sirium, the one with the staff, looked reserved, unwilling yet to open himself to this glimmer of hope. 'They were lost,' the fifth occupant explained, 'but not gone. I believe I have found one.' Out of the text he produced a picture and laid it on the table for the others. It was a portrait. A hedgehog resplendent in royal garb looked out at the viewer. The tell-tale arrogant smile of those of royal blood radiating from his mouth. One by one, the members present understood the meaning of this picture, their vision slowly gravitating to the area above the hedgehog's head. 'Unbelievable!' 'That's not possible!' 'Who is this man?' Tacitus asked The High Lord Badger replied, 'The leader of the Hedgehog Hedgemony.' he smiled, 'My brothers, what you see here is a Tear of Primus, one of the lost, acting as the primary jewel in the crown of the Duke-Regent Salihjat Haj.'